God’s Dealings with Israel Rehearsed

1 Now in the seventh° year°, in the fifth° [month], on the tenth° of the month°, Icertain° of the aelders° of Israel° came° to inquire° of the LORD°, and sat° before° me.
2 And the word° of the LORD° came° to me saying°,
3 “Son° of man°, speak° to the elders° of Israel° and say° to them, ‘Thus° says° the Lord°IGOD°, “Do you come° to inquire° of Me? As I live°,” declares° the Lord° GOD°, “aI will not be inquired° of by you.”’
4 Will you judge° them, will you judge° them, son° of man°? aMake them know° the abominations° of their fathers°;
5 and say° to them, ‘Thus° says° the Lord° GOD°, “On the day° when I achose° Israel° and Iswore°° to the IIdescendants° of the house° of Jacob° and made° Myself known° to them in the land° of Egypt°, when I Iswore°° to them, saying°, bI am the LORD° your God°,
6 on that day° I swore°° to them, ato bring° them out from the land° of Egypt° into a land° that I had Iselected° for them, bflowing° with milk° and honey°, which° is cthe glory° of all° lands°.
7 I said° to them, ‘aCast° away°, each° of you, the detestable° things° of his eyes°, and bdo not defile° yourselves with the idols° of Egypt°; cI am the LORD° your God°.’
8 But they arebelled° against Me and were not willing° to listen° to Me; Ithey did not cast° away° the detestable° things° of their eyes°, nor° did they forsake° the bidols° of Egypt°.

¶ Then I IIresolved° to cpour° out My wrath° on them, to accomplish° My anger° against them in the midst° of the land° of Egypt°.
9 But I acted°afor the sake° of My name°, that it should bnot be profaned° in the sight° of the nations° among° whom° they [lived], in whose° sight° I made° Myself known° to them by bringing° them out of the land° of Egypt°.
10 So I took° them out of the land° of Egypt° and brought° them into the awilderness°.
11 I gave° them My astatutes° and informed° them of My ordinances°, by bwhich°, if a man°Iobserves° them, he will live°.
12 Also° I gave° them My sabbaths° to be a asign° between° Me and them, that they might know° that I am the LORD° who sanctifies° them.
13 But the house° of Israel°arebelled° against Me in the wilderness°. They did not walk° in My statutes° and they rejected° My ordinances°, bby which°, if a man°Iobserves° them, he will live°; and My csabbaths° they greatly° profaned°. Then I IIresolved° to dpour° out My wrath° on them in the wilderness°, to annihilate° them.
14 But I acted° for the sake° of My name°, that it should not be profaned° in the sight° of the nations°, before whose° sight° I had brought° them out.
15 Also°aI swore°° to them in the wilderness° that I would not bring° them into the land° which° I had given° them, flowing° with milk° and honey°, which° is the glory° of all° lands°,
16 because° they rejected° My ordinances°, and as for My statutes°, they did not walk° in them; they even profaned° My sabbaths°, for their aheart° continually went° after° their idols°.
17 Yet My eye° spared° them rather° than° destroying° them, and I did not cause° their aannihilation° in the wilderness°.

18 ¶ “I said° to their Iachildren° in the wilderness°, ‘bDo not walk° in the statutes° of your fathers° or keep° their ordinances° or defile° yourselves with their idols°.
19aI am the LORD° your God°; bwalk° in My statutes° and keep° My ordinances° and Iobserve° them.
20aSanctify° My sabbaths°; and they shall be a sign° between° Me and you, that you may know° that I am the LORD° your God°.’
21 But the achildren° rebelled° against Me; they did not walk° in My statutes°, nor° were they careful° to observe° My ordinances°, by which°, [if] a man° observes° them, he will live°; they profaned° My sabbaths°. So I Iresolved° to pour° out My wrath° on them, to accomplish° My anger° against them in the wilderness°.
22 But I awithdrew° My hand° and acted°bfor the sake° of My name°, that it should not be profaned° in the sight° of the nations° in whose° sight° I had brought° them out.
23 Also° I swore°° to them in the wilderness° that I would ascatter° them among the nations° and disperse° them among the lands°,
24 because° they had not observed° My ordinances°, but had rejected° My statutes° and had profaned° My sabbaths°, and atheir eyes° were Ion the idols° of their fathers°.
25 I also° gave° them statutes° that were anot good° and ordinances° by which they could not live°;
26 and I pronounced° them aunclean° because of their gifts°, in that they bcaused all°Itheir firstborn° to pass° through° [the fire] so° that I might make° them desolate°, in order° that they might cknow° that I am the LORD°.”’

27 ¶ “Therefore°, son° of man°, aspeak° to the house° of Israel° and say° to them, ‘Thus° says° the Lord° GOD°, “Yet° in this° your fathers° have bblasphemed° Me by cacting° treacherously° against Me.
28 When I had abrought° them into the land° which° I swore°° to give° to them, then they saw° every°bhigh° hill° and every° leafy° tree°, and they offered° there° their sacrifices° and there° they presented° the provocation° of their offering°. There° also they made° their soothing° aroma° and there° they poured° out their drink° offerings°.
29 Then I said° to them, ‘What° is the high° place° to which° you go°?’ So its name° is called°IBamah° to this° day°.”’
30 Therefore°, say° to the house° of Israel°, ‘Thus° says° the Lord° GOD°, “Will you defile° yourselves Iafter the manner° of your afathers° and play° the harlot° after° their detestable° things°?
31IWhen you offer° your gifts°, when you acause your sons° to pass° through the fire°, you are defiling° yourselves with all° your idols° to this day°. And shall I be inquired° of by you, O house° of Israel°? As I live°,” declares° the Lord° GOD°, “I will not be inquired° of by you.
32 What acomes°Iinto your mind° will not come° about, when° you say°: ‘We will be like the nations°, like the tribes° of the lands°, bserving° wood° and stone°.’

God Will Restore Israel to Her Land

33 ¶ “As I live°,” declares° the Lord° GOD°, “surely°° with a mighty° hand° and with an aoutstretched° arm° and with wrath° poured° out, I shall be bking° over° you.
34 I will abring° you out from the peoples° and gather° you from the lands° where° you are scattered°, with a mighty° hand° and with an outstretched° arm° and with bwrath° poured° out;
35 and I will bring° you into the awilderness° of the peoples°, and there° I will enter° into judgment° with you face° to face°.
36 As I aentered° into judgment° with your fathers° in the bwilderness° of the land° of Egypt°, so° I will enter° into judgment° with you,” declares° the Lord° GOD°.
37 “I will make you apass° under° the rod°, and I will bring° you into the bond° of the covenant°;
38 and I will apurge° from you the rebels° and those who transgress° against Me; I will bring° them out of the land° where° they sojourn°, but they will bnot enter° the Iland° of Israel°. Thus you will know° that I am the LORD°.

39 ¶ “As for you, O house° of Israel°,” thus° says° the Lord° GOD°, “aGo°, serve° everyone° his idols°; Ibut later° you will surely°° listen° to Me, and My holy° name° you will bprofane° no° longer° with your gifts° and with your idols°.
40 For on My holy° mountain°, on the high° mountain° of Israel°,” declares° the Lord° GOD°, “there° the whole° house° of Israel°, aall° of them, will serve° Me in the land°; there° I will baccept° them and there° I will Iseek° your contributions° and the choicest° of your gifts°, with all° your holy° things°.
41IAs a soothing° aroma° I will accept° you when I abring° you out from the peoples° and gather° you from the lands° where° you are scattered°; and I will prove° Myself bholy° among you in the sight° of the nations°.
42 And ayou will know° that I am the LORD°, bwhen I bring° you into the land° of Israel°, into the cland° which° I swore°° to give° to your forefathers°.
43 There° you will aremember° your ways° and all° your deeds° with which° you have defiled° yourselves; and you will bloathe° yourselves in your own Isight° for all° the evil° things° that you have done°.
44 Then ayou will know° that I am the LORD° when I have dealt° with you bfor My name’s° sake°, not according to your evil° ways° or according to your corrupt° deeds°, O house° of Israel°,” declares° the Lord° GOD°.’”

45 ¶ INow the word° of the LORD° came° to me, saying°,
46 “Son° of man°, set° your face° toward°ITeman°, and speak° out against° the asouth° and bprophesy° against° the cforest°IIland° of the Negev°,
47 and say° to the forest° of the Negev°, ‘Hear° the word° of the LORD°: thus° says° the Lord° GOD°, “Behold°, I am about to akindle° a fire° in you, and it will consume° every°Igreen° tree° in you, as well as every° dry° tree°; the blazing° flame° will not be quenched° and IIbthe whole° surface° from south° to north° will be burned° by it.
48 All° flesh° will see° that I, the LORD°, have kindled° it; it shall anot be quenched°.”’”
49 Then I said°, “Ah° Lord° GOD°! They are saying° of me, ‘Is he not [just] speaking°aparables°?’”

God refuseth to be consulted by the elders of Israel.

1 ¶ And it came to pass² in the seventhº year,º in the fifthº [month], the tenthº [day] of the month,º [that] certain¹² of the eldersº² of Israelº cameºª to enquireºª² of the LORD,º and satºª beforeº me. 2 Then came² the wordº of the LORDº unto² me, saying,ºª3 Sonº of man,º speakºª² unto the eldersº of Israel,º and sayºª unto² them, Thus² saithºª the Lordº GOD;º Are ye² comeºª to enquireºª of me? [As] I² live,º saithºª the Lordº GOD,º I will not² be enquiredºª of by you. 4 Wilt thou judgeºª them, sonº of man,º wilt thou judgeºª [them]? cause them to knowºª² the abominationsº of their fathers:º

He sheweth the story of their rebellions in Egypt,

5 ¶ And sayºª unto² them, Thus² saithºª the Lordº GOD;º In the dayº when I choseºª Israel,º and lifted upºª mine handº unto the seedº of the houseº of Jacob,º and made myself knownºª unto them in the landº of Egypt,º when I lifted¹ª up² mine handº unto them, saying,ºª I² [am] the LORDº your God;º6 In the dayº [that] I lifted upºª mine handº unto them, to bring them forthºª of the landº² of Egyptº into² a landº that² I had espiedºª for them, flowingºª with milkº and honey,º which² [is] the gloryº of all² lands:º7 Then saidºª I unto² them, Cast ye awayºª every manº the abominationsº of his eyes,º and defile¹ª not yourselves²² with the idolsº of Egypt:º I² [am] the LORDº your God.º8 But they rebelledºª against me, and wouldºª not² hearkenºª unto² me: they did not² every manº cast awayºª² the abominationsº of their eyes,º neither² did they forsakeºª the idolsº of Egypt:º then I said,ºª I will pour outºª my furyº upon² them, to accomplishºª my angerº against them in the midstº of the landº of Egypt.º9 But I wroughtºª for my name's¹ sake,²² that it should not² be pollutedºª beforeº the heathen,º amongº whom² they² [were], in whose² sightº I made myself knownºª unto² them, in bringing them forthºª out of the landº² of Egypt.º

in the wilderness,

10 ¶ Wherefore I caused them to go² forth¹ª out of the landº² of Egypt,º and broughtºª them into² the wilderness.º11 And I gaveºª them² my statutes,º and shewedºª them my judgments,º which² [if] a manº do,ºª² he shall even live¹ª² in them. 12 Moreover also² I gaveºª them² my sabbaths,º to be² a signº between² me and them, that they might knowºª that² I² [am] the LORDº that sanctifyºª them. 13 But the houseº of Israelº rebelledºª against me in the wilderness:º they walkedºª not² in my statutes,º and they despisedºª my judgments,º which² [if] a manº do,ºª² he shall even live¹ª² in them; and my sabbathsº they greatlyº polluted:ºª then I said,ºª I would pour outºª my furyº upon² them in the wilderness,º to consumeºª them. 14 But I wroughtºª for my name's¹ sake,²² that it should not² be pollutedºª beforeº the heathen,º in whose² sightº I brought them out.ºª15 Yet also² I² lifted upºª my handº unto them in the wilderness,º that I would not² bringºª them into² the landº which² I had givenºª [them], flowingºª with milkº and honey,º which² [is] the gloryº of all² lands;º16 Because² they despisedºª my judgments,º and walkedºª not² in my statutes,º but pollutedºª my sabbaths:º for² their heartº wentºª afterº their idols.º17 Nevertheless mine eyeº sparedºª² them from destroyingºª² them, neither² did I makeºª an endº of them in the wilderness.º18 But I saidºª unto² their childrenº in the wilderness,º Walk¹ª² ye not² in the statutesº of your fathers,º neither² observeºª their judgments,º nor² defile¹ª yourselves² with their idols:º19 I² [am] the LORDº your God;º walk¹ª² in my statutes,º and keepºª my judgments,º and doºª them; 20 And hallowºª my sabbaths;º and they shall be² a signº between² me and you, that ye may knowºª that² I² [am] the LORDº your God.º21 Notwithstanding the childrenº rebelledºª against me: they walkedºª not² in my statutes,º neither² keptºª my judgmentsº to doºª them, which² [if] a manº do,ºª² he shall even live¹ª² in them; they pollutedºª² my sabbaths:º then I said,ºª I would pour outºª my furyº upon² them, to accomplishºª my angerº against them in the wilderness.º22 Nevertheless I withdrewºª² mine hand,º and wroughtºª for my name's¹ sake,²² that it should not² be pollutedºª in the sightº of the heathen,º in whose² sightº I brought them forth.ºª²23 I² lifted upºª² mine handº unto them also² in the wilderness,º that I would scatterºª them among the heathen,º and disperseºª them through the countries;º24 Because² they had not² executedºª my judgments,º but had despisedºª my statutes,º and had pollutedºª my sabbaths,º and their eyesº were² afterº their fathers'º idols.º25 Wherefore I² gaveºª them also² statutesº [that were] not² good,º and judgmentsº whereby they should not² live;ºª26 And I pollutedºª them in their own gifts,º in that they caused to pass throughºª [the fire] all² that openethº the womb,º that² I might make them desolate,ºª to the end² that² they might knowºª that² I² [am] the LORD.º

and in the land.

27 ¶ Therefore,² sonº of man,º speakºª unto² the houseº of Israel,º and sayºª unto² them, Thus² saithºª the Lordº GOD;º Yet² in this² your fathersº have blasphemedºª me, in that they have committedºª a trespassº against me. 28 [For] when I had broughtºª them into² the land,º [for] the which² I lifted upºª² mine handº to giveºª it to them, then they sawºª every² highºª hill,º and all² the thickº trees,º and they offeredºª there²² their sacrifices,º and there² they presentedºª the provocationº of their offering:º there² also they madeºª their sweetº savour,º and poured outºª there²² their drink offerings.º29 Then I saidºª unto² them, What² [is] the high placeº whereunto²² ye² go?ºª And the nameº thereof is calledºª Bamahº unto² this² day.º30 Wherefore² sayºª unto² the houseº of Israel,º Thus² saithºª the Lordº GOD;º Are ye² pollutedºª after the mannerº of your fathers?º and commit ye whoredomºª² afterº their abominations?º31 For when ye offerºª your gifts,º when ye make your sonsº to pass² through¹ª the fire,º ye² pollute¹ª yourselves² with all² your idols,º even unto² this day:º and shall I² be enquired¹ª of² by you, O houseº of Israel?º [As] I² live,º saithºª the Lordº GOD,º I will not² be enquired¹ª of² by you. 32 And that which comethºª into² your mindº shall not² be at all,º that² ye² say,ºª We will beºª as the heathen,º as the familiesº of the countries,º to serveºª woodº and stone.º

He promiseth to gather them by the Gospel.

33 ¶ [As] I² live,º saithºª the Lordº GOD,º surely²² with a mightyº hand,º and with a stretched outºª arm,º and with furyº poured out,ºª will I ruleºª over² you: 34 And I will bring you outºª² from² the people,º and will gatherºª you out of² the countriesº wherein² ye are scattered,ºª with a mightyº hand,º and with a stretched outºª arm,º and with furyº poured out.ºª35 And I will bringºª you into² the wildernessº of the people,º and there² will I pleadºª with² you faceº to² face.º36 Like as² I pleadedºª with² your fathersº in the wildernessº of the landº of Egypt,º so² will I pleadºª with² you, saithºª the Lordº GOD.º37 And I will cause you to passºª under² the rod,º and I will bringºª you into the bondº of the covenant:º38 And I will purge outºª from² among you the rebels,ºª and them that transgressºª against me: I will bring them forthºª² out of the countryº² where they sojourn,º and they shall not² enterºª into² the landº of Israel:º and ye shall knowºª that² I² [am] the LORD.º39 As for you,² O houseº of Israel,º thus² saithºª the Lordº GOD;º Go¹ª² ye, serveºª ye every oneº his idols,º and hereafterº [also], if² ye will not² hearkenºª unto² me: but polluteºª ye my holyº nameº no² more² with your gifts,º and with your idols.º40 For² in mine holyº mountain,º in the mountainº of the heightº of Israel,º saithºª the Lordº GOD,º there² shall all² the houseº of Israel,º all² of them in the land,º serveºª me: there² will I acceptºª them, and there² will I requireºª² your offerings,º and the firstfruitsº of your oblations,º with all² your holy things.º41 I will acceptºª you with your sweetº savour,º when I bring you outºª² from² the people,º and gatherºª you out of² the countriesº wherein² ye have been scattered;ºª and I will be sanctifiedºª in you beforeº the heathen.º42 And ye shall knowºª that² I² [am] the LORD,º when I shall bringºª you into² the landº of Israel,º into² the countryº [for] the which² I lifted upºª² mine hand